Honing tool



' Feb. 51935. F M, K RN 1,990,331

' HON ING TOOL Filed March 9, 1951 INVENTOR Fred M Ker.

- RNEYS,

Patented Feb. 5, 1935 PATENT OFFICE HONING TOOL Fred M. Kern, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Micromatic Hone Corporation, a corporation of Michigan Application March 9, 1991, Serial No. 521,092

'9Claims.

This invention relates to honing tools and particularly to a spring which provides a proportional bias throughout its compressible length and which may be employed in a machine tool,

such as a honing tool or the like.

It has been the practice heretofore, when mounting a spring in a honing tool, to provide a predetermined amount of initial compression to the spring in order to have the bias, exerted by the spring thereafter, to be in direct proportion to the amount of deflection applied to the spring. When a helical spring was employed in a honing tool a spring cage-was provided which retained the spring under an initial compression to effect a direct proportional relation between the bias and deflection of the spring throughout its workable length.

In practicing my invention, I provide a spring to which no initial deflection is required to effect the above noted relation which thereby eliminates the aforementioned spring cage from the tool. The initial deflection .of the spring effects a bias which is directly proportional to that eifected by any deflection of the spring within its compressible limit or the limit of elasticity of the mate,- rial. When the bias of my spring-has been expended, in expanding the abrading elements of the tool, the'honing of the cylinder walls will automatically cease and the pressure applied to the elements, during the operation, was at all times proportional to the amount of deflection remaining in the spring.

Accordingly, one object of my invention is to provide a spring, for a honing tool or like structure which shall effect a bias to a member in direct proportion to the amount of deflection applied to or remaining in the spring.

Another object of my invention is to provide a spring in a honing tool for effecting a bias, to expand the abrading element thereof which shall be at all times directly proportional to the amount of deflection of the spring.

A further object of my invention is to provide a spring, for a honing tool of the above mentioned type, in which the force applied to the honing elements is directly proportional to the amount of deflection on the spring and which automatically ceases to provide a bias to the elements when the spring ceases to be deflected, the proportion between the bias and deflection remaining constant througlout the range of movement of the honing elements.

Various other objects and features of novelty of my invention will be either specifically pointed out, or will become apparent, when referring, for

a better understanding of my invention, to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein: I

Figure 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a honing tool embodying features of my invention,

Fig. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of a spring employed in the structure shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a broken view of a section of the structure shown in Fig. 2 when in assembled position. 10

Fig. 4 is a view, in elevation, of the structure sh wn in Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 4 taken along the line 5-5 thereof,

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of a modified form 1 which my spring may assume, and

Figs. 7 and 8 are views in elevation of a helical spring in various degrees of compression for the purpose of comparison.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have shown a honing tool 20 which is similar in construction to the honing tool described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 521,089, filed March 9, 1931, and which was assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The honingtool includes a universally jointed spindle 10 on the lower end of which a pair of slotted spiders 12 and 13 are mounted in fixed spaced relation. Holders 14, for abrading element-15 are retained within the slots in the spiders by garter springs 18 and 19 which engagethe arcuate fingers 20 extending beyond the honing element 15.

The honing elements are moved radially of the 1 spindle 10 by a conical shaped sleeve 17 which is slidable thereon and which engages the ends 16 of pyramidal projections provided on the inner side of the holders 14. A spring 21 is provided between the spider 13 and the lower end of the cone 17 for biasing it upward on the spindle. The conical shaped member 17 is moved downwardly by fingers 23 providedintegrally with an annular ring 24 which encompasses the universal connection of. the spindle 10. I

A spring 43, which embodies features of my present invention, is positioned above the annular ring 24, over which a sleeve 41 extends, having an upwardly extending threaded portion which closely engages the upper portion of the spindle l0 and which is in slidable relation therewith. A threaded nut 25 is positioned onthe upper end of the spindle against'which a locking nut 26 may be jammed for locking the nut 25 in predetermined relation onthe spindle. The spindle is provided with a cam carrying collar 28 having a plurality of bearing washers between the collar and the flange of the nut for reducing the friction when the nut is revolved relative to 27 and a cam engaging collar 32 is mounted thereabove in 'slidable relation to the threaded portion of the sleeve 27. A plurality of balls 33 are provided between the nut 31 and the sleeve 32 which pass over a plurality of notches in the nut 31 for the purpose of indexing the adjust-,

ment, as more clearly described in the above mentioned co-pending application. A cage 34 retains the balls 33 in predetermined relation to each other and a projection 35 on the inner periphery of the cage engages a slot in the threaded extension of the sleeve 27 for positioning the cage relative to the sleeve.

When the cam actuating member engages the projecting end 38 of the cam 30, the camming end 39 thereof slides along the camming surface 40 of the collar 32 and forces the collar and therefore the sleeve 27 downwardly to compress the spring 43 which is engaged by a shoulder on the inner portion of the sleeve. When the cams are released the bias of the spring is no longer effective and the honing elements 15 are drawn inwardly toward the spindle 10 out of engagement with the surface of the cylinder to be honed.

Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, I have shown a spring of the helical yp which has been employed heretofore in tools of the above mentioned type, for the purpose 'of illustrating the defects which my spring has overcome. Referring to Fig.8itwillbenoted thatthepressureorbias applied through the spring is at a point substantially 180 degrees apart, and after the spring has been compressed a predetermined amount, as shown in Fig. 7, the application of force has been shifted substantially 90 degrees in opposite direcrmiions to be applied through one side of the P Again referring to l"lg.' 8, it will be noted that the first application of force through the ends 'of the spring, will cause the ends to deflect because of their narrow widths before any substantial deflection will accrue to the body portion of the spring and in this way the bias would not be proportional to the deflection applied through the entire spring. only after the spring has reached a point at which the load is applied to the spring beyond the reduced end thereof; as shown in Fig. 7, would the compression curve be a straight line to show a direct proportion between the deflection and the bias of the spring.

Heretofore, it has been necessary to provide a predetermined amount of initial deflection to the spring in order to have the spring work within an area in which the deflection and bias are directly proportional to each other.

Referring to Fig. 2, I have shown a spring which embodies features of my invention and which is made up of a plurality of members, the main portion of the spring 43 being constructed from a tube in which a. plurality of slots 48 and 49 have been cut transversely thereof. The slots 48 have been cut on opposite sides of the tube to a predetermined depth to leave a sufiicient stock 50 for spacing the ring-like portion 45 from the next adjacent portion 46. The slots 49 are similarly cut in the body portion of the cylinder but are disposed in such manner as to have the 1,99o,ss1

stock 51, therebetween, positioned 90 degrees from the stock 50 between the slots 48. When a pressure is appliedto a spring of'this type at the top surface of, the ring 45, it is transmitted through the stock 50 to the next adjacent ring 46, through the stock 51 tothe ring 47 and to the projections 52 provided on the under side of the ring 47. The projections 52 engage recesses 53 in a spring washer 44, of a diameter similar to that of the spring 43 and which permits the rocking of the cylinder portion 43 about the projection 52.

Similar projections 55 extend from the under side of the ring 44 which engages slots 56 in a similar spring washer 57, the extensions 55 being disposed 90 degrees from the slots 53 to permit the rocking. of the spring washer 44 on the washer 57 in a direction opposite to that in which the tubular spring 43 rocks. In this construction, a universal movement is provided for the spring, which is disposed about the universal joint of the spindle 10, that eliminates any tendency of the bias eflected by the spring, from preventing the joint from being freely movable in any direction.

The cylindrical portion 43 is more clearly shown in Figs. .4 and 5, the sectional-view of Figure disclosing the stock 50 which remains between the rings 45 and 46 which is similar in dimensions to the stock 51 remaining between the next adjacent rings 46 and 47. I have disclosed a complete spring built up in this manner by having a cylindrical portion 60 provided with slots 61 and 62 which effect a plurality of rings 63, 64, 65, 66 and 67 connected by aplurality of integral portions 68 which are oppositely disposed between adjacent rings.

In a spring so constructed, the initial compression is proportional to the bias eifected thereby, the proportion remaining a constant throughout the defiectional length of the spring. When a very small deflection is applied to my springs in a honing tool, the ensuing bias is directly proportional to the deflection, which relation-could only be eflected, heretofore, when employing a helical spring, by initially compressing the spring within a spring cage. By utilizing the initial bias of the spring in my honing, tool, the constant proportion between the deflection and pressure eflects a rapid initial machining of the cylinder wall and a fine machining at the end of the operation toprovide a polished finish to the surface.

While I have specified that the washers 44 and 5'7 are constructed of spring material, it is to be understood that in the broad aspect of the invention, that is to say, for eilecting a universally-movable support for the spring, the washers 44 and 57 may be made from a material other than that employed for springs.

I It is to be understood that when a greater de-' gree of flexibility of the spring is required, that I may construct the entire spring from a plurality of the spring washers 44 and 57, having projections and slots therein which'are oppositely disposed and which, when assembled, pro- InFlg.6-

vide a structure similar to -that shown in Figs. 4 v

and 6 with the exception that' complete flexibility is provided throughout the length of the spring. In this construction the slots and the projections need not be displaced exactly 90 degrees from each otherbut may be oflset a certain number of degrees in a progressive manner throughout the length of the springs. In Fig. 3, I have shown the engagement of the projection 52, of the spring 43, with a recess 53,

of the spring washer 44, for the purpose of illustrating the rocking relation between the various elements of the spring.

When my spring is employed in a honing tool no initial setting of the spring is necessary and the adjustment of the mechanism is made when the cams 30 are moved to released position, as

, shown in Fig. 1, by turning the nut 31 without my honing tool, the bias effected by its 'com-' pression is directly proportional tothe amount of its deflection and after the expansion has been taken up by the radial movement of the honing elements ,in the bore of a cylinder, the machining of the surface ceases. The stop member heretofore employed for restraining the bias of the sprin is no longer required when my spring is employed.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a spring, which may be constructed from a unit cylindrical member, in which the initial compression is directly proportional to the bias effected by the spring, which proportion remains a constant throughout the compressible length of the spring. The spring is provided with projections at each of its ends to transmit a force therethrough, equally about its entireperiphery in contradistinction to the application of a force through a helical spring which may occur at diagonally opposite points. built up from a plurality of spring washers having oppositely disposed projections and recesses which cooperate with each other to provide a continuous length of spring. A spring, so constructed, is entirely flexible in every direction and effects a bias which is proportional'to its deflection.

While I have described and illustrated but two embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the .art that various changes, omissions, additions and substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as set forth in the accompanying claims. I claim' as my invention:

. 1. The combination with a spindle of a machine tool having expansible abrading elements supported on the lower end thereof and provided with means for controlling the expansion of said elements, of means for transmitting pressure between said controlling means and said elements including a plurality of rings encompassing said tween said controlling means and said elements including a plurality of resilient rings encompass- .ing said spindle and provided with spacing projections which engage succeeding rings at points which are angularly other.

3. The combination with a spindle of a machine The spring may be disposed relative to each tool having expansible abrading elements supported on the lower ,end thereof and provided with means for controlling the expansion of said elements, of means for transmitting pressure between said controlling means and said elements including a plurality of annular members having pairs of lugs thereon some of which are ofiset angularly relative to each other when the members are assembled to constitute a unit structure. 4. The combination with a universally jointed spindle of a machine tool having expansible abrading elements associated with the lower end thereof and provided with means for controlling the expansion of said elements, of compressible resilient means for transmitting pressure from said controlling means to said elements including a hollow cylinder slotted radially thereof a predetermined distance, said slots being angularly disposed relative to, each other about the circumference of said cylinder.

5. The combination with a universally jointed spindle of a machine tool having expansible abrading elements associated with the lower end thereof and provided with means for controlling the expansion of said elements, of compressible resilient means for transmitting pressure from -said controlling means to said elements and a plurality of rings provided with two diametrically opposite projections which are mounted in angularly disposed relation to those on the next adjacent ring to provide a universal movement to said rings.

6. The combination with a universally jointed spindle of a machine tool having expansible abrading elements associated with the lower end thereof and provided with means for controlling the expansion of said elements, of compressible resilient means for transmitting pressure from said controlling means to said elements and a plurality of rings provided with two diametrically opposite projections which are mounted in angularly-disposed relation to those on the next adjacent ring to provide a universal movement to said rings, the said rings being resilient to increase the bias provided by said resilient means.

'7. The combination with a universally jointed spindle of a machine tool, of means for transmitting pressure'across the joint including at least two rings encompassing said joints and having oppositely disposed lugs on one face and a pair of recesses, for .receiving the lugsof the adjacent ring, in the opposite face in angularly disposed relation to said lugs.

8. The combination with a universally jointed spindle of a machine tool, of means for transmitting pressure across the-joint including at least two rings encompassing said joints and having oppositely disposed lugs on one face and a pair of recesses, for receiving the lugs of the adjacent cally opposite projections which are mounted in angularly disposedi'elation to those on the next adjacent ring to provide a uniuersal movement to said rings.

menu. KERN. 

